Week 37: #52 Ancestors – Mistake By Eilene Lyon Thomas Harvey Ransom, the only son of Dr. William C. Ransom to reach adulthood, emulated his father quite readily. Unfortunately, W. C. Ransom was not a good role model. Harvey (as he was known) took the mimicry a step too far, and it cost him dearly.... Continue Reading →
The Schoolgirl
Week 36: #52 Ancestors - School Days By Eilene Lyon There are very few school pictures handed down by my ancestors. I've shared some from my great-grandmother, Clara Ransom Davis, in The Schoolma'am. My grandmother, Reatha Gusso is an exception. She did save some class pictures, and even photos of her teachers. Reatha's photo albums... Continue Reading →
Made In Madison
Week 35: #52 Ancestors – At Work By Eilene Lyon This week’s project began as a story about my 4th great-aunt, Catherine Delle, who is credited with establishing the first kindergarten in Madison, Wisconsin. You know I like to write about successful women from my family tree. As I researched, I ended up finding more... Continue Reading →
Untethered
Week 34: #52 Ancestors – Tragedy By Eilene Lyon October 26, 1891 seemed a normal fall day at the Jones ranch. Situated on one of the most scenic and rugged coastlines in North America, it was a dream fulfilled for Samuel and Eliza B. Jones. After a life of gold mining, milling, shop-keeping and farming,... Continue Reading →
Alias Addison Porter – 1
Week 33: #52 Ancestors – Comedy By Eilene Lyon This story isn’t funny-haha, but funny-peculiar. A comedy of errors, if you will. That does happen in genealogy research. Sometimes you have to come up with a hypothesis to guide you when you come to a brick wall. Then the path you take, based on your... Continue Reading →
One Stayed Home
Week 32: #52 Ancestors – Sister By Eilene Lyon My great-great-grandfather Richard D. Halse had two sisters, one older and one younger. Richard, his widowed mother, and all his siblings moved from Iowa to Dakota Territory around 1880, except for the younger sister. Her name was Elizabeth Sorby Halse and she married a couple years... Continue Reading →
The Drummer
Week 31: #52 Ancestors - Brother Steven Arthur Halse (1959 - 2014) Feature image: Steve was in a marching band for one season in the fall of 1973 at Cumberland Valley High School in or near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. He played cymbals. Photo credits: Most of these were taken by Dad and are in my... Continue Reading →
The Instant Tree
Week 30: #52 Ancestors – Easy By Eilene Lyon (Satire) Decades ago my paternal grandmother, Reatha Halse, gave me some ancestry information. It included a Halse-Drake-Murphy collection of family trees. Cousin Earl Drake compiled all these descendants from our immigrant ancestors for several generations. Handy dandy! Her bundle also included a pedigree for her Crandall... Continue Reading →
Will the Real David Jenkins Please Stand Up…
Week 29: #52 Ancestors – Challenging By Eilene Lyon David Jenkins is my 4th great-grandfather. Aside from knowing he married Ann Widdifield Zane and fathered Henry Zane Jenkins, facts about this man are hard to come by. Normally the uncertainty wouldn’t be such a big deal. However, Henry Z. Jenkins is the protagonist in my... Continue Reading →